Ankara, October 12.
There was massive participation in the general strike declared by four main trade unions on October 12 and 13 in protest at the October 10 massacre in Ankara.

The strike brought life to a halt.

While there was large participation across Turkey, thousands of workers took to streets in Ankara where the October 10 blasts claimed the lives of at least 128 people and left as many wounded.

The slogans of “Thief-Murderer Erdoğan” and “The dictator will be defeated, the people will win” resonated across the streets as the protesters vowed to bring Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP government to account.

Gathering at central Ziya Gökalp Street, thousands of workers from the two main trade unions, KESK and DİSK, carried a banner which read, “We are mourning, we are striking” and photos of the victims of the twin blasts.

Protests Ankara

Addressing the crowd Kani Beko, the head of DİSK, said those responsible for the massacre are those who demanded 400 deputies (a reference to the AKP) and added: “I call out the dictator once again here. You will be drowned in the blood you have shed”.

“The people are more determined than ever and the unions are more determined than ever.”

MUA National Secretary and International Transport Workers’ Federation Paddy Crumlin said the shameless attacks could not be forgiven.

“They must be fully, effectively – and transparently – investigated. That process must be open to international observers,” Crumlin said.
The MUA has created a Donations Site for the Victims of the Ankara Peace Rally Bombings last week in Turkey. Our Comrade Saadet Ozdemir has assisted us to direct the money to an ITF Union working to assist injured people access urgent medical treatment. Please support this important cause

Many believe President Erdogan and the ‘secret police’ are implicated!

Erdogan imposes Internet and Media censorship. New elections are soon.

Erdogan continues to attack the Kurds, particularly the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
In alliance the PKK and Democratic Freedom Party (HDP)won seats recently. Ocalan their leader is for peace and developing grass roots democracy, ecology and women’s rights.

‘The message is clear: it is not only in Kurdistan or in the country’s remote areas that your life is in danger if you protest the government. Opposing the AKP government and the state now means putting your life at risk no matter where you are.

E.g. The Kurdish freedom struggle today
“The most effective opposition to the Islamic State killers has come from the revolutionary democratic wing of the Kurdish freedom movement. That is, from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), the defence forces of Rojava, the Kurdish-majority liberated territory in northern Syria.

The Rojava Revolution has attracted increasing interest and admiration around the world because of its unyielding resistance to the Islamic State and the heavy and unprecedented involvement of women in the fighting forces.

In Turkey the Democratic Freedom Party (HDP) and the outlawed PKK are struggling, in different conditions, for the same thing.

The great success of the HDP in the June 7, 2015 parliamentary elections was based on an appeal, not only to the downtrodden Kurdish population, but to all those across the country suffering oppression, discrimination and exploitation.

This pamphlet concentrates on the Kurdish struggle in Rojava and Turkey.

It aims to provide information and perspective on these tremendously important developments and, hopefully, furnish a basis for more active solidarity in Australia.

Rally: Open a humanitarian corridor to Kobanê!On November 1, activists around the world will come together in a huge joint effort calling for action for Kobanê. A rally and march will be held in Melbourne Sunday, November 1, 2pm • State Library, Swanston St, City.
Kobanê is the Kurdish-majority town in northern Syria which heroically held off the massed forces of the murderous Islamic State in a four-month siege in late 2014-early 2015 and eventually defeated them. Women fighters played a major frontline role in this modern epic of popular resistance.
Today Kobanê is largely in ruins yet 175,000 people have returned. The town must be cleared of mines and booby traps and rebuilt; and people are in urgent need of basic medical supplies, food, and clothing. But the Turkish regime is blocking access to the town as part of its offensive against the Kurdish people both in Turkey and across the border.
World Kobanê Day calls for Turkey to open a humanitarian corridor to allow in supplies, specialists and volunteers to make a serious start on the reconstruction of the city.
In Melbourne we will rally at the State Library and then march to the Bourke Street mall to conclude. The rally will be addressed by solidarity activists and speakers from the Kurdish community. Colin Long, Victorian NTEU secretary and past-president of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, will be a keynote speaker.
Organised by Australians for Kurdistan & the Kurdish Association of Victoria. For more information contact Gulay 0413 936 706 or Mahmut 0421 543 277.

Rally demands Turkey stop its war on the Kurds

Friday, September 18, 2015 The Melbourne against Turkey’s attacks.
On September 12, hundreds of people marched in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth against the Turkish state under president Recep Tayyip Erdogan waging war on the Kurdish people.

In the last month, severe clashes have taken place in many Kurdish cities, including Silopi, Lice, Şemdinli, Silvan, Yuksekova and Cizre, where civilians have been targeted by state forces. Tens of civilians, guerrillas and members of state security forces have died in the ensuing clashes.

Socialist Alliance’s Dave Holmes gave this speech at the Melbourne rally.

“In the midst of this wave of violence, the [former] Abbott government did its bit for the war and conflict. On August 11 it relisted the PKK on the Australian list of terrorist organisations.

This is obviously a favour to the Turkish regime because the arguments on the national security website are pathetic. There is not one mention of the discrimination Kurds face in Turkey or the violence of the regime. The PKK is blamed for the failure of the peace process.

This ban should be overturned. Australia should call on Turkey to resume the settlement talks with the Kurds.”

Activists from across the world have come together in a huge joint effort calling for action for Kobane on the 1st November 2015.

One year on since the last global call for action spurred hundreds of rallies, demos and actions across dozens of countries, and months after the worst of the siege, humanitarian aid is still being blocked from entering the city and people are in urgent need of basic medical supplies, food, and clothing. This appeal calls for a humanitarian corridor to be opened up and for the freedom and reconstruction of the city, and has support from prominent individuals such as Prof. Noam Chomsky, Reem Khelani and Dr. Binayak Sen.

In Kobane and throughout Rojava, a new society is being developed by the people from the ground up. In a sense, this is radical peace building in which statism, capitalism, nationalism, misogyny and racism, as well as the social fractures they cause, are being built out of the fabric of society.

To do that, a new physical and material space must be constructed too – from ecologically-constructed schools and cooperative factories to villages for women survivors of domestic violence. In addition, much of the dangerous work of rubble-clearing, mine-clearing and refugee support is being done by citizens of Kobane with no outside help. We call on you to support those efforts and demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor so all the urgently needed materials can get through. See more